June 10, 2011
Twelve locals were publicly caned in Langsa, Aceh, on Thursday. Each of them received six lashes for selling lottery tickets, which, according to Sharia Law, is a form of gambling.
Aceh, on the northern tip of Sumatra island, adopted partial Sharia Law in 2001 as part of an autonomy agreement aimed at quelling separatist sentiment.
Caning carried out there is mainly aimed at causing shame rather than injury.
Irvon, an official from the Langsa's Prosecutor's Office, said the locals violated the gambling law and, therefore, were subject to between six and 12 public lashings.
“All of them accepted the Langsa's Shariah Court's verdict after the hearing Thursday morning. The canings were carried out Thursday afternoon,” Irvon told the Jakarta Globe, adding the defendants refused the judge's offer of legal representation.
“Maybe they didn't want to make it complicated because they already felt guilty for selling lottery tickets to the people,” he said.
The caning was conducted by three executors. Each executor caned four people.
The prosecution asked the court to give the 12 defendants only six lashes and not the maximum of 12.
“We requested the lightest sentence for them so that they would learn a lesson,” he said. “We hope they will not repeat what the religion forbids.”
It was not the first time locals got caned for selling lottery tickets- in May, 40 locals were caned for the violation.
(x the JG)
vr 10 jun 2011 - 7:07